The unexpected

When something unexpected happens, it's usually good or bad.

And consequences can ripple through the reality we call now into the one we will call now later.

I just took my wife's car in for an oil change and wiper blades: $109. It's a luxury car - a Jaguar, and we are used to having the car cleaned when reparied or serviced. The better car dealers do this. Well, up rolls the service guy with the job overpriced and done - but the car is dirty. Unexpected. Bad. At that moment, I wished there was another dealer here, but there isn't. I asked him why they didn't clean it, and he said, "oh, we can wash it." Strange, I thought. Why didn't you? So he took off and had it done. It was a great wash - tire dressing, vacuuming, the whole deal. Unexpected. Good. He said they had performed warranty work too (yet the car is OUT of warranty.) Unexpected. Good. We'll be back.

Some years ago I bought some very expensive audio cables. If I wrote what I'd paid I'd be shut down and sent to an institution for people like me and I don't like myself that much anyway, so why would I confess to end up with more of me? Well, anyway, I e mailed the manufacturer a nice question about where that cable now fits in their lineup. NO ANSWER. Unexpected. Bad. I imagine them laughing their collective ass off every time they make a sale. I will never do business with that company again.

We have friends in Singapore who have just adopted their third little girl. The new mom's story is so compelling I shared it with some friends who also have adopted. One wrote back that her story had changed his bad day into a good one and lent some needed perspective. Unexpected. Good.

Ripples.

Maybe that's the meaning of life.